


How To Get Away With Murder

by achieve_k



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Drug Use, How to Get Away With Murder - Freeform, M/M, character death is immediate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-06
Updated: 2016-07-29
Packaged: 2018-05-25 04:57:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6181114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/achieve_k/pseuds/achieve_k
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Monday 12th October 2015.</p>
<p>A body is pulled from the river by police. There is fatal damage to the skull and there has been an obvious attempt to burn the remains.</p>
<p>Body identified as that of missing teenager, Ray Narvaez Jr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Friday 9th October 2015.

**Author's Note:**

> ((loosely inspired by the show 'How To Get Away With Murder'))
> 
> this is the first fic i have written in a very long time and i promise i will not be abandoning it~
> 
> feedback is much appreciated <3  
> thanks!!

“Joel Heyman, I’m arresting you for the murder of your student, Ray Narvaez Jr on the 9th of October 2015.”

A silence.

Then nothing.

\---

_10.32 am- outside Joel Heyman’s classroom, Friday 9 th October 2015._

“Christ alive!”

“Shit, sorry dude.”

Gavin desperately dried off his soaked camera against the fabric of his navy sweater, not caring about the dark stain the spilled coffee was creating. Awkwardly watching him while he muttered quiet curses, Ray made an attempt to shuffle away, not really one for confrontation, but Gavin was having none of it.

“I swear to God Ray, if you’ve broken this camera- I only have today to get pictures of the _Romeo and Juliet_ rehearsals for my article, the paper is published on Monday!” The Brit seethed, testing the camera that hung securely from a strap around his neck. He tried snapping a picture of Ray, leaving him bleary-eyed from the flash.

“Jesus. Can’t you just postpone it? I doubt anyone would notice,” Ray mumbled.

“Excuse me? What exactly do you mean by that?” By now, the school reporter’s raised voice and infuriated tone had attracted some attention.

“I just…I mean, I hate to break it to you man, but nobody really reads the school newspaper?”

This earned a small round of laughter from the little crowd they had created, and Ray couldn’t help but be made a little pompous by it.

Gavin was speechless for a moment. He only stared with his mouth agape and Ray willed him to say _something_ before the guilt kicked in, and he would have to force himself to apologise.

“Well I knew _you_ wouldn’t be reading them. The writing is a little too advanced for _your_ tastes.” Gavin spat.

“Right, the ‘advanced’ writing, _that’s_ why I don’t read it.”

“Why are you being such a prick? I work myself to death over my articles, how dare you say nobody bloody reads them, I- “

But they were interrupted before threats could by made. Joel Heyman, both of the students’ drama teacher, sent them on their separate ways with an hour’s detention each for the disruption. Gavin was fuming, but Ray left with a smile on his face.

\---

_12.59 pm- behind the bleachers, Friday 9 th October 2015._

“Hey Geoff.” Ray said, placing himself down on the grass beside Geoff Ramsey.

“Back again?” was the monotone response, followed by Geoff taking a long drag on what Ray knew was not just a cigarette. Geoff puffed smoke up into the air without a care in the world, offering the blunt to Ray which he politely declined.

“Yeah. I was hardly planning on track running.”

Geoff coughed out a laugh. “Shockingly, me neither.”

\---

_3.30 pm- detention, Joel Heyman’s classroom, Friday 9 th October 2015._

“Hey Romeo,” Michael Jones spoke with a toothy grin, his feet propped up on the table in front of him. “Didn’t expect to see you here. What’re you in for?”

Ray watched from the back of the classroom as Ryan Haywood, theatre fanatic; young male model; star of the school production of Romeo and Juliet and general, all-round popular guy, entered the detention, almost as unwilling to be here as Michael was. Michael certainly hadn’t been wrong though. Detention was the last place anyone would expect to catch Ryan.

“Skipped a class. I had lines to rehearse for _somebody’s_ production,” Ryan muttered, rolling his eyes and taking a seat a few desks across from Michael.

“Not an excuse.” Joel told him, barely looking up from the book he was reading, but it made Ray chuckle.

“Is there a rehearsal on Monday?” Gavin chimed in, finally glancing up from where he had been fiddling with his phone under the desk. “I _really_ need to get more photos for the paper- “

“ _God forbid_ , you don’t get them.”

“Shut up, Michael.”

“Yes, Gavin.” Ryan diffused the situation with a warm smile. “There are rehearsals on Monday, and you’re more than welcome to come along and take your photos.”

“I hadn’t realised you were the director, Haywood.” Joel hummed, flicking to the next page of his book without so much as a glance in their direction.

“Yeah, well-“  
“Hey, uh, could you guys keep it down just a little?” Jack sighed from his seat near Ray at the back. “I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

“Holy shit, Jack?” Michael laughed, spinning around in his seat to face him. “What the fuck are you doing in detention?”

“Language, Jones.” A tired comment from Joel which was was largely ignored.

“I’m not _in_ detention.” Jack frowned. “I’m doing some extra-credit work, and you’re all making it pretty difficult.”

When Geoff entered the room, the six of them fell silent. The lack of chatter was the first thing to make Joel look up ever since they had arrived.

“Oh, Ramsey, nice of you to join us.” Joel greeted with a sigh, returning to his book and leaving the boys to stare at each other in thought.

The uncomfortable quiet lasted for a while, as Geoff took his seat, and a couple of minutes after that too, before Ray’s timid voice shattered it.

“This is weird right? … You’re all thinking it too, aren’t you? All of us, together. Kind of a strange coincidence isn’t it?” He seemed to grow more confident the more he spoke. “We probably haven’t all been this close since- “

“Since Michael first put on a varsity jacket.” Geoff grinned, bringing a round of honest laughter from the group and a frightful glare from Michael.

“Just because you all got butt-hurt when I started to fucking _do something_ with my life; not just fucking around with you guys.” He argued.

“Was that ‘something’ being a class A prick?” Gavin shot him a grin, which Michael successfully deflected with an unchanging scowl. “Well anyway, _I_ did something with _my_ life too. Reporting should take me a damn sight further than any of you will get.”

“Have fun reporting on my Academy Award, Free.” Ryan, the self proclaimed star, interrupted, earning a chuckle from Joel, who everyone had more or less forgotten about until now.

Jack seemed to have been pulled from his work, distracted by the conversation among old friends. “I imagine I’ll be defending Geoff in court one day.”

“Nah man,” Geoff shook his head with a small grin. “I’ll have you know I have a very promising future. I’ll be a published poet before you know it.”

“A mess of words written while you’re drunk or high doesn’t exactly count as poetic talent, Geoff.” Ryan protested light-heartedly.

“C’mon man, drunk or high? What do you take me for? Drunk _and_ high.”

“Fair point.”

“Well at least you’re doing _something_.” Michael shrugged, sparing a very purposeful glance at Ray, as if suddenly the entire conversation had turned sour.

There was a period of dull silence while each and every one of the boys considered the implications of what Michael had said. The silence lingered when they realised it was true. At the start of high school, it was just given knowledge that the six of them wouldn’t remain the close-knit group they had once been; their personalities and interests were far too conflicting. Since their natural split though, everyone had seemingly found themselves. Gavin’s skills in journalism were thriving just as much as Ryan’s acting; Michael was not yet the quarterback but he was well on his way; Jack’s grades were near perfect in his pursuit of a place in law school, and even Geoff was finding something to occupy him in the time he should have been spending in class.

As far as anyone knew, Ray had done nothing.

“What…What have you been doing, Ray?” Gavin asked, mostly innocently, but his words cut the silence in the room with a sharp knife and they hit hard.

“Well, I mean, we all know what’s been _doing you._ ” Michael pestered him with a shark-like grin and an obvious look thrown Joel’s way. Geoff’s following laughter was loud, obnoxious and, to the other boys, extremely contagious. “Isn’t that right, Mr Heyman?”

Apparently, Joel had decided not to dignify that with a response. Ray took a different route.

“Oh, fuck off Michael. Just because you’re some kind of jock now, doesn’t mean you have to play the part and be a fucking asshole.”

At this, Michael stood abruptly from his chair, practically snarling at Ray in a very ‘high school bully’ like manner. Gavin gave one, loud ‘ha’.

“Sit down, you knob. What are you gonna do, hit him?”

“Fuck this.” Michael grumbled, retrieving his bag and slinging it over his shoulder begrudgingly; Joel only made a half-hearted attempt at stopping him before he made it to the door. “You coming, Geoff?”

“Nah, figured I’d hang out here,” Geoff replied, voice dripping with sarcasm as he followed Michael out.

\---

_3.50pm- security footage, school gate, Friday 9 th October 2015._

 Michael Jones and Geoff Ramsey exit the school together.

\---

_4.00pm- security footage, school gate, Friday 9 th October 2015._

Gavin Free and Ryan Haywood exit the school together. Gavin takes a phone call lasting approximately two minutes before the pair vacate the premises.

\---

_4.05pm- security footage, school gate, Friday 9 th October 2015._

Jack Pattillo exits the school alone. He can be seen getting into a blue sedan.

\---

_4.07pm- Joel Heyman’s classroom, Friday 9 th October 2015._

“We all live pretty close to each other, so we were friends before high school,” Ray sighed, climbing up to perch upon Joel’s desk, leaving with literally no choice other than to pay attention to him. “Now they’re all a bunch of assholes and they act like they don’t even know me. Except maybe Geoff.”

“And what about Jack?” Joel hummed, leaning back in his chair. Though he wasn’t particularly interested in Ray’s high school dramas, and found them to be somewhat juvenile, Joel would always listen.

“Jack…” Ray sighed, taking hold of Joel’s hand and twisting the fake and pointless wedding ring that he wore around his finger. “I just kind of expected him to stop the others being pricks; at least to stop them being like that to me. He was always the one who kept us together but he just…he just watches. He doesn’t do anything.”

“I’m sorry Ray, but it didn’t seem to me like Geoff was coming to your rescue from Michael just then either.”

“Michael and Geoff have been sucking each other’s dicks since before I can even remember. I don’t expect that from him,” Ray sighed, but he silenced Joel next time he tried to contribute to the conversation with a rushed and purposeful kiss. As Ray had known he would, Joel pulled away instantly.

“Not in the classroom.” He glared, but Ray knew he wasn’t really angry. “Tonight at 9. Meet me at the regular spot?”

“Course.” Ray grinned. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

\---

_4.20pm, security footage, school gate, Friday 9 th October 2015. _

Ray Narvaez Jr exits the school alone.

\---

_4.30pm, security footage, behind local convenience store, Friday 9 th October 2015._

Michael Jones and Geoff Ramsey are seen smoking behind the premises of the local convenience store. They leave together at approximately 5.00pm.

\---

_Approximately 4.45pm on Friday 9 th October 2015, according to witness statement, Jeremy Dooley. Statement taken Thursday 15th October 2015._

“I saw Ryan and Gavin passing my house while I was taking out the trash. They, uh, they told me they were just coming back from detention, I think. I’m not really sure what we talked about, but I guess they left at around 5? ...No, they didn’t mention Ray…. No, I’m not sure where they went after that.”

\---

_Approximately 7.15pm on Friday 9 th October 2015, according to witness statement, Trevor Collins. Statement taken Thursday 15th October 2015.  _

“I have no idea what was going on, I just saw them all running. Ray…Ray was at the front. Michael was really going after him. They were all shouting, all six of them, I couldn’t really make out what they were saying…Can I please see Gavin now? _Please_?”

\---

_7.56pm, security footage, gas station, Friday 9 th October 2015._

Jack Pattillo enters the gas station without a car. He fills up a water bottle with gasoline, pays and leaves.

\---

_Approximately 9.15pm on Friday 9 th October 2015, according to witness statement, Trevor Collins. Statement taken Thursday 15th October 2015. _

“Gavin was really late. He was supposed to be coming over at 7.30, but he didn’t get there until…I don’t know, somewhere around 9.15. He turned up and took his shoes off, said they were wet… No, he didn’t say where he was. Wanted me to help him fix his camera, he said Michael got it wet or something…. I never asked why he was late, he was really mad about his camera, so I- I just didn’t think it was important.”

\---

_Monday 12 th October 2015, riverbank in the woods. _

A body is pulled from the river by police. There is fatal damage to the skull and there has been an obvious attempt to burn the remains.

Body identified as that of missing teenager, Ray Narvaez Jr.


	2. Monday 12th October.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am reliable~
> 
> maybe don't always expect updates as quickly as this, but i am doing my best:)

_12.53 pm- behind the bleachers, Monday 12 th October 2015._

“Fuck off, Gavin.” Geoff didn’t even give Gavin a chance to sit down before he was dismissing him. Though he didn’t seem too concerned, there was certainly enough force in his tone to make the Brit reconsider his decision to approach the other.

“Geoff, please.” Gavin frowned, tentatively sitting down beside him. Geoff remained staring straight ahead. His expression was unchanging, as though he were blissfully unaware of Gavin’s presence. “I just…I _have_ to talk to someone.”

“We have _nothing_ to talk about.”

“We do. Don’t act like we don’t.”

“Gavin, _Jesus_ dude. You’ve gotta back off.” Surprisingly, the first flicker of emotion Geoff had shown was not anger, or general frustration at Gavin’s persistent pestering like he had expected it would be. It was something more like desperation. “You’re gonna attract attention, you never hung out with me here before. I’m sorry Gav, but you’ve gotta get out of here. Now.”

There was a prolonged moment of untouched silence then. Gavin waited for Geoff to say something; _anything_ to free him from the quiet. Geoff waited for Gavin to leave.

“You’re not smoking,” Gavin mumbled under his breath.

“Yeah. Haven’t had a chance to get a new lighter yet.”

\---

_Text messages recovered from Gavin Free’s phone, Monday 12 th October 2015._

_1.22pm- Gavin:_

you busy?

_1.24pm- Ryan:_

Rehearsals. Why?

_1.25pm- Gavin:_

doesn’t feel right, writing about ray being missing and all. just wanted some company.

_1.33pm- Ryan:_

I understand. Come to the afterschool rehearsal tonight. We can talk.

_1.33pm- Gavin:_

sposed to be meeting treyco :(

_1.44pm- Gavin:_

told trevor i can’t make it tonight. i’ll see you at rehearsals? x

_1.45pm- Ryan:_

See you there. X

\---

_Witness statement, Trevor Collins, statement taken Thursday 15 th October 2015._

“We’ve began together for just over a year now…No he never really talked about Ray. Why would he? I think he said they were pretty good friends before high school, but other than that- look, why are you asking me all these questions about Gavin?”

\---

_2.30pm- outside Joel Heyman’s classroom, Monday 12 th October 2015._

It was difficult for such a big personality, such a spotlight character, like Michael Jones to sneak by _anywhere_ unnoticed. Of course Joel saw him.

It wasn’t a particularly long moment of uncomfortable eye contact, but the implications, the accusations and the _hate_ they both sent to each other in one simple look lasted a whole life time.

Joel considered stopping him. He considered sternly inviting the student into his classroom, locking the door and beating the answers to all of his questions out of him; because it was blatant that Michael knew. He knew exactly where Ray was. He knew what had happened to him. If Ray had run away somewhere, Michael knew about it. If Ray was dead at the bottom of a ditch, Michael knew about it.

Joel was completely convinced.

He _knew_.

“Jones.”

Michael was sure he’d put miles between them by the time Joel built up the courage to call out his name; when he looked back, he was mere steps away from the other man’s classroom.

“Yes, sir?”

“Can I have a word after school please?”

“I have football practice after school.”

“After that. I’ll be in the drama studio.”

“Right. Yeah, sure.” Like fuck was he going to that.

\---

_3.35pm- ‘Romeo & Juliet’ rehearsals, the drama studio, Monday 12th October 2015. _

_“Death lies on her like an untimely frost upon the sweetest flower of all the field.”_ A boy who Gavin didn’t recognise was exclaiming as he crept into the drama studio. He ensured his footsteps were silent, not wanting to disrupt the actors and face their angered glares for the rest of the evening. Luckily, he’d arrived during a scene in which Romeo played no part.

Gavin shuffled into a seat beside Ryan in the audience, who was flicking mindlessly through his script, mostly ignoring the acting going on on the stage before them. They sat silently for a moment, neither one of them acknowledging the other.

“Geoff told me you were bugging him.” Ryan finally muttered, keeping his voice low to avoid any disruption to the actors.

“Christ, am I not _allowed_ to talk to people?”

“No one who you didn’t talk to beforehand.”

The silence returned. It was an unwanted and uncomfortable presence making itself at home between the two of them.

“What did you tell Trevor?” Ryan asked, rather awkwardly.

Gavin shrugged. “Just told him I wanted to get a couple more pictures for my article.”

“And he wasn’t suspicious?”

“What’s he got to be suspicious about? He doesn’t know I talk to you, Ryan. Well, I mean, he doesn’t know how close we are.”

“Hm. Neither do I, I think.”

And there was that silence again.

Luckily, this time, Joel was there to shatter it. “Romeo! You know your lines for the balcony scene? If not, run them. I know Barb’s not here, but we’ll go over it later without her.”

Ryan gave a simple nod of acknowledgement in response, turning to Gavin with a small grin and handing over his script. “You wanna be my stand-in Juliet?”

Gavin snatched the script from him. “Piss off, Ryan.”

_4.15pm._

Midway through the infamous balcony scene, while Ryan actively performed the _‘what light through yonder window breaks’_ speech, Michael Jones was ushered into the studio by a tired looking coach. Geoff Ramsey trailed behind the pair, a cigarette tucked behind his ear for later. While Joel gave the coach a silent thumbs up and took Michael into the room next door, Geoff sat himself down, keeping a comfortable amount of space between himself and Gavin, the only other person who had stuck around.

As soon as Joel was gone, Ryan stopped his acting, allowing the silence to invade the space between the new trio.

“What…what’s Joel need to talk to Michael about?” Gavin asked, almost timidly.

“Who knows,” Geoff let out a long sigh, leaning back in his chair and sparing a glance over at Gavin. He spoke quieter now. “Probably Ray.”

“Geoff.” Ryan scolded, noticing how Gavin flinched at just the mentioning of Ray’s name.

“What? What the fuck did you want me to say? Sorry, Joel needs to talk to meathead jock Michael Jones about the importance of modern theatre.”

“Why are you not worried? Why is this not even fazing you?” Gavin snapped, a little too loudly judging by the resulting ‘shush’ he received from a frustrated Ryan. He only pouted and turned away from the other two.

“There’s nothing to be worried about, Gavin.” Ryan sighed, sitting down beside the Brit and gently squeezing his knee with a small, comforting smile. Geoff laughed in response and Gavin huffed in annoyance.

“I’m not a child, Ryan. Believe me, I’m perfectly aware of how bloody worried we should be.”

“Well, _you_ have nothing to worry about. You didn’t do anything wrong, alright?”

“ _He’s not a child, Ryan,_ ” Geoff quoted, with a roll of his eyes. “So he definitely knows that if that’s your line, then you’re a fucking liar.”

“Oh please, Geoff, enlighten me, what the _fuck_ did Gavin do?”

The argument had become too heated for the three of them to take any notice of the volume at which they were berating one another.

“Hey Gav, have you told your boyfriend that you’re also banging Ryan yet?” Geoff accused, leaving the Brit gawking at him.

“It’s not like that, I- “

“ _That_ has nothing to do with anything.” Ryan quickly interjected, not allowing Geoff to continue along that route.

“Oh, of course it doesn’t.” Geoff gave a hearty laugh at Ryan’s truly furious stare, and Gavin’s equally shocked and embarrassed state. “Alright then Gavin, did you get your camera to work again? Did you _delete_ that footage? No, of course you didn’t. How’s that for something he’s done wrong, Ryan?”

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Michael’s voice had them all silenced immediately, all heads snapping round to stare at him in horror; of course, they all expected Joel to be with them. If he had heard that, they were done for. “You guys are lucky Joel left already. Don’t go shouting your fucking mouths off about this shit.”

“Michael,” Ryan breathed a sigh of relief. “What did he say to you?”

A frown tugged at the corners of Michael lips then, and everyone in the room visibly tensed.

“He’s on my fucking case, man. Thinks I know what happened to Ray.”

\---

_Text messages recovered from Geoff Ramsey’s phone, Monday 12 th October 2015. _

_6.03pm- Geoff:_

where were you today, asshole?

_6.05pm- Jack:_

I called in sick. I can’t face it Geoff…

_6.10pm- Geoff:_

well, you’ve gotta. we’re all fucking terrified jack, but heyman’s been getting onto michael. you can’t just run away and hide from this. don’t you dare leave us to handle this on our own.

-

_10.49pm- Geoff added Gavin, Ryan, Jack & Michael to the conversation. _

_10.50pm- Geoff:_

have you all seen it?

_10.50pm- Michael:_

it’s all over the fucking news, geoff, of course we’ve seen.

_10.51pm- Gavin:_

oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit

_10.51pm- Michael:_

thanks for the contribution asshole.

_10.52pm- Gavin:_

:(

_10.53pm- Jack:_

Shut up you fucking idiots this is serious. What the fuck are we gonna do?

\---

_10.30pm- news report, Monday 12 th October 2015._

“A body has been pulled from a river in a woodland area today, and has been identified as missing local teenager Ray Narvaez Jr. Police are treating the death as suspicious, and are opening an investigation into the circumstances. The family of the boy have been informed, and have chosen not to speak on the matter today.” 


	3. Murderers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pay close attention to the dates, times and places in this one. It can get confusing otherwise. 
> 
> <3

_9.15pm, Ryan Haywood’s house, Tuesday 13 th October 2015._

“Stop this!” Gavin yelled out finally. His eyes were brimming with tears, but, even as silence fell among the group and all eyes were on him, he would not allow them to fall. “We’re not murderers. _We’re not murderers._ ”

\---

_7.07pm, Trevor Collins’ house, Tuesday 13 th October 2015._

“Is everything alright, Gav?” Trevor frowned, squeezing his boyfriend’s hand gently, reassuringly. The lack of communication, the lack of _anything_ really between them, even with a shitty movie playing in the background, was very alien for the pair; an unfamiliar tension seemed to have settled in place of heavy petting or bad jokes.

“Yeah.” Gavin lied easily. With a quiet yawn, he shuffled closer to Trevor on the bed, hoping the closeness would settle his unease. It didn’t.

“C’mon. Something’s up.” He persisted, pausing their movie and turning to face Gavin rather than sitting casually beside him. “Just tell me; you _know_ you can tell me.”

Gavin groaned. “I’m not sure I can, Trev.”

“Hey, idiot. Look at me.” Gavin did. “Does this look like a guy who could stay mad at you for anything?”

“ _Yes._ ”

“Well good, because I can.” Trevor grinned, moving to straddle the Brit’s hips and trail small kisses along his jawline. “But,” he sighed. “I’m also very prone to forgiving you. So what’s up?”

Gavin spent a stretched out moment staring up at Trevor. There was a smile about his lips, but his eyes were troubled.

“Treyco,” they both grinned at the dumb nickname Gavin had spouted countless times before. “Say you love me.”

“Why?”

“I just…I just wanna hear you say it.”

“Gav, c’mon. You’re scaring me, you _know_ I love you… _I love you._ Please, just tell me what’s going on.”

“That’s all I needed.” Gavin let out a long sigh. “It…It’s pretty bad, Trevor, I... I feel so bloody awful about it.”

\---

_8.43pm, Ryan Haywood’s house, Tuesday 13 th October 2015. _

Opening the door to Gavin Free had never worried Ryan before. He would often stop by, late at night, usually on his way home from his boyfriend’s house. Most of the time, they’d just watch movies or play video games. Sometimes they would do…other things.

Tonight though, something was very different about Gavin. Where he was normally tumbling through the front door straight away, without even having to be invited, and telling Ryan some extravagant story about his newest article or how he’d left Trevor’s early without the other suspecting a thing, tonight he was still and silent. His eyes were red and puffy, and when he opened his mouth to speak, nothing but a whimper came out at first. He swallowed hard before attempting words again.

“I told him. I told Trevor about Ray.”

_8.57pm_

Gavin had succumbed to his tears again by the time Ryan had finished making phone calls, inviting the boys to come over to his house and discuss what the next step was.  

“Why did we have to tell them…” he whimpered pathetically, looking just as terrified as he felt.

“Gavin, I’m sorry, but this is _serious_.” Ryan explained sternly. “This could completely fuck us. We _all_ need to know so that we can _all_ come up with a way to fix this problem you’ve gone and created.”

_9.05pm_

“Why the fuck would you tell him, you moron?” Michael was seething as soon as he entered the room. “I _knew_ you’d be the one to fuck this all up.”

“It’s not important _why_ he told him. Trevor fucking knows. We gotta do something about it, and fast. How’d he react Gavin?” Geoff looked more tired than concerned, but he generally did.

“I…I dunno, he was…he was scared, I think.” Gavin wiped his eyes with vigour, stopping anymore stray tears. He was no longer in the comfortable company of Ryan alone.

“And what _exactly_ did you tell him?” Jack asked, sitting down beside Gavin and trying to be as consoling as possible, but it was clear that he was just as panicked as everybody else was. Not even Jack could find the positives in this situation.

“I told him…” Gavin snivelled, shying away from the rest of the group. “I said we all knew what happened to Ray. I told him M-Michael…killed him.”

“You fucking _what_!?” Michael took a full step toward Gavin, advancing on him but Geoff was there to keep a handle on him, wrapping an arm around Michael’s waist and easily pulling him back. Michael did not trash against his hold. “Why the fuck would you say that!?”

“Because it’s _true_ , Michael!” Gavin argued, hiding his absolute terror and squaring up to Michael. Ryan got between them, noticing the struggle Geoff was beginning to have in keeping Michael tame. While the chaos ensued, Jack sunk deeper into a state of true paranoia in the corner of the room.

“Michael didn’t kill anybody!” Geoff insisted, having to actually put a genuine effort into keeping Michael back now.

“Oh my god…” Jack muttered shakily from the corner.

“Gavin you shouldn’t have said that.” Ryan tried to remain as calm as possible. He tried to play the peacemaker. But Michael cracked him,

“No, you definitely fucking shouldn’t have!” The red-head yelled, more frustrated now than angry, with Geoff keeping such a secure hold on him. “Just because you won’t accept that your precious Ryan could kill somebody- “

“ _Excuse me_?” Ryan spoke through gritted teeth.

“We have to get rid of him!” Jack’s vague statement paused them all in action. “Trevor, he…he’s gonna go to the police. While we’re all standing around arguing, he’s- fuck- he’s probably on his fucking way to the police station right now you fucking idiots! Regardless of who fucking did it, we’re _all_ fucked. We were _all_ there, we _all_ covered it up, we’re fucked, _fucked,_ we have to…we have to…”

The unspoken words rested in the air for a moment before Geoff, with the courage of a lion tamer after keeping Michael down for so long, let them slip.

“We have to kill him.”

\---

_7.10pm, Trevor Collins’ house, Tuesday 12 th October 2015._

“Gavin…will you please just…just tell me.”

A silence.

“Alright. Alright.”

\---

_9.12pm Ryan Haywood’s house, Tuesday 12 th October 2015._

“Jesus fucking Christ, Geoff,” Ryan spoke in disbelief, but Jack was nodding, a horribly pained expression on his face.

“Well what the fuck else are we supposed to do!?” Geoff finally let Michael go, running a hand through his hair and leaning back against the wall. “Fuck. _Fuck_ , we have to fucking kill him.”

“Oh my god,” Gavin was shaking, and Ryan’s hushes were not at all comforting.

“Oh, what the fuck are _you_ crying about?” Michael spat, and Gavin would have argued that he was certainly _not_ crying, but he couldn’t form the words. “This is your fucking fault.”

“He _cares_ about him!” Ryan argued for him.

“Yeah? Did he tell you that with your dick in his mouth?”

“Michael, I swear to fucking God.”

“I’m just sayin’.” He shrugged. “So…fuck, are we really gonna do this?”

“Do we have any other choice?” Jack sighed.

“Alright.” Ryan frowned. “We better make a plan.”

“Stop this!” Gavin yelled out finally. His eyes were brimming with tears, but, even as silence fell among the group and all eyes were on him, he would not allow them to fall. “We’re not murderers. _We’re not murderers._ ”

A horrible silence fell while they all examined one another.

“Listen. _Listen._ I’m cheating on my boyfriend. Michael’s a selfish prick. Ryan only gives a single shit about people he likes. Geoff is apathetic and dismissive as fuck towards everyone. Jack’s stuck-up and thinks he’s the greatest bloody thing since sliced bread- we’re _all_ the lowest of the fuckin, low. But we are _not_ murderers.” Gavin paused then. “I didn’t tell Trevor anything.”

\---

_7.13pm, Trevor Collins’ house, Tuesday 13 th October 2015._

“I lost that necklace you got me for my birthday.” Gavin frowned around his lie. “I know it was expensive an’ all…and you saved up all those weeks’ wages, I just- I feel so terrible. I’m a rubbish boyfriend.”


	4. The Questioning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is more like my general uploading schedule  
> hopefully the wait wasn't too long :)

_11:07pm, outside of Ryan Haywood’s house, Tuesday 13 th October 2015._

Michael and Geoff were the first to leave Ryan’s house that night, and their conversation was completely non-existent. It was okay though; Geoff could appreciate the calm of the night. He could enjoy the light wind whistling through and between them and admire the way the darkness dipped into their small neighbourhood. It took him a moment to realise that their footsteps were not the only sounds disrupting the serene peace. Quiet sobs from Michael stopped Geoff in his tracks.

How often had he seen Michael cry? There was not a single moment in his recent memories that Geoff could pinpoint, and he realised that he was painfully unprepared for this situation.

“Michael?” He said quietly, pointlessly, receiving only a wrecked sob in response. With great caution, Geoff wrapped one arm around Michael’s waist and pulled him close. His touch was careful and unpractised but well-received; Michael warmed to him immediately.

“He thinks I’m a fucking murderer,” his words were barely coherent in such cracked speech, broken by unforeseen tears.

“Oh. _Oh._ ” Geoff frowned, his hold on Michael tightening some. If anything, he could be glad that he and Michael had left alone, dreading to think of Michael breaking down in his room at home with nobody there to console him, and nurse him back to his regular self.

“Gavin…I fucking hate him.” There was already a revived passion in his voice, but maybe not quite the type Geoff would have liked. Michael often drifted from one extreme to the other.

“You don’t. You wouldn’t care otherwise.”

“I’m _not_ a murderer.”

“I know, Michael. That’s what counts.”

\---

_10.04am, behind the bleachers, Wednesday 13 th October 2015._

“You lookin’ for Geoff too?” Michael sighed, picking aimlessly at the grass he was perched on, occupying Geoff Ramsey’s regular spot during virtually all hours of the school day.

“Why else would I be here?” Ryan frowned, sitting, almost cautiously, beside Michael on the ground. “I didn’t realise he ever left this little spot.”

Michael shrugged. “He sometimes goes to his English class.”

Neither of them had anything to say to the other after that, but the silence was reasonably welcome for once. Despite the unspoken problem both of them had come to discuss, any tension was strangely absent.

Gavin stumbled over shortly after Ryan, bringing a storm along with him.

“Ryan! Thank Christ you’re here, they- they’re _questioning_ people Ry, what the fuck are we going to say, you know I’m rubbish on the spot, I don’t think I’ll be able to- “

“Hush.” Ryan sighed, already impatient with Gavin today. “Sit down. We’re waiting on Ramsey.”

“S-sit down? You want me to just _sit back and relax_ while they’re _already_ taking people in for questioning- “

“Sit down, asshole!” Michael snapped out of his peaceful reverie to snarl at Gavin. Without another word, but not without a quiet huff of annoyance, the Brit obeyed.

Jack was the next to join the group, but he did so without interrupting the serenity. He only sat calmly beside Michael on the grass, barely even sparing a glance at the other boys.

“You decided to show up today then?” Michael asked, rather harshly. Jack didn’t reply, and the four of them allowed the silence to take over once more.

It took a whole half an hour for Geoff to join the scene, a lit cigarette already sitting snugly between his lips. He looked almost surprised to see the four of them gathered in his own spot, looking up at him expectantly. It seemed they had re-learned how to naturally congregate together like this, a skill they had all forced to the back of their minds a long time ago.

“What do we do?” Michael asked, to Geoff specifically, and for a while he didn’t reply; he spent a few moments glancing between the four of them. They were all expecting Geoff to have the answer. Somehow, the natural impulse to seek out Geoff Ramsey for help had not left a single one of them. Painfully, Geoff wondered if Ray would have come here too.

“I saw Denecour go in for questioning. Then Dooley. They’re going alphabetically.” Geoff sighed, beginning to pace, taking an extra long drag on his cigarette. “Free, you’re the first of us.”

Gavin frowned. “What am I supposed to _say,_ Geoff?”

Again, Geoff spent a moment just watching the four of them. Gavin, with the whole story on the tip of his tongue, like he would burst at any moment. Ryan, the least expressive of the four, shocking considering his dedication to being a performer at all times, only stared right back at him with stony eyes. Jack, harbouring the guiltiest eyes Geoff had ever seen on a man. And Michael. Michael, with his mouth that talked 10 miles more than it needed to every time it opened, was silent.

“Joel.” Geoff finally said, locking eyes with Michael as he spoke. “Everything they ask you, no matter what it is, you answer calmly, because it was _Joel_. As far as we know, Joel Heyman killed Ray.”

\---

_10.50am, senior-wide questioning in the school counsellor’s room, student: Gavin Free, Tuesday 13 th October 2015._

“We have to start off by saying that you’re not a suspect, kid,” an officer with broad shoulders and a warm smile said, taking Gavin’s hand in a firm grasp and shaking it before motioning for him to sit down across the table from them. “We’re just running some general questions with everybody to try to…set us on the right path in figuring out what happened to Ray.” His smile turned sad at that, but Gavin only shifted nervously, nodding once. “You have nothing to worry about, Gavin.”

\---

_11:22am, senior-wide questioning, student: James Ryan Haywood._

 He’s calm, dead-eyed, with his arms folded across his chest. But he’s an actor, and both officers know this.

“What was your relationship with Ray Narvaez Jr?”

“We were friends when we were kids.” Ryan shrugged, maintaining definite and direct eye contact while he spoke. “I never really talked to him after we started high school.”

\---

_12:52am, senior-wide questioning, student: Michael Jones._

“Did you encounter Ray at any point on Friday 9th October?”

“We were in the same detention class on Friday, but Geoff and I left early. I didn’t feel like staying.”

“Geoff…?”

“…Ramsey.”

\---

_2.15pm, senior-wide questioning, student: Jack Pattillo._

“Who exactly was in that classroom with you on Friday after school, Jack? Last names would be helpful, too.”

“It was…It was me…Geoff Ramsey and Michael Jones, Gavin Free…Ryan Haywood, and…and Ray.”

“Was there a teacher in the room?”

“Oh, right, yeah there was. Mr. Heyman… Joel. Joel Heyman.”

\---

_2.59pm, senior-wide questioning, student: Geoff Ramsey._

“And, could you tell us where you went after you left your detention on Friday?”

“To the tree. Michael and I went to the tree.”

“The tree?”

“Yeah. _Our_ tree.”

\---

_5.22pm, the tree, Friday 9 th October 2015._

If there was anything the six of them had in common anymore, it was the tree. The only thing that could hold together the school reporter, the actor, the jock, the stoner, the straight A student and Ray was the tree.

Before they earned their high school titles, fell into cliques and clichés that fit around them almost too tightly, this was where they spent their days. The six of them together, tucked away in the corner of the park, huddled in, under and around a large, forgotten oak tree. They had branded it with their names one year, while hiding away from the harsh Texan sun, and since then it had been _their_ tree, wholly and absolutely.

Nobody other than Ray had visited it for years now.

The coincidental reunion of the six of them in detention had drawn Geoff and Michael back to the tree tonight, and they were not particular surprised to find Jack already there. He was sat on the ground, leaning back against the wide trunk of the tree, an open book in his lap that he seemed to be paying little attention to. Wordlessly, Michael hopped up onto a low-hanging branch and perched upon it. Geoff placed himself beside Jack. He offered him a cigarette, which Jack scoffed at and batted to the floor.

“You smoke like a fucking chimney, Geoff.” Jack scolded.

“I know.”

“At this rate, you’ll be dead before you’re 30.”

“Here’s hopin’.”

Michael leaned down to lightly kick Geoff in the back of the head at that, to which the three of them chuckled quietly, before settling back into a thoughtful silence.

“Fancy seeing you lot here!” A British squawk called them all to attention, and, for the first time in what could have been years, Michael looked pleased to see Gavin. The Brit hoisted himself up onto the branch beside Michael, who scooted over to give him a little more room. “You think this is still safe? I imagine we’re quite a bit heavier than we used to be.” He laughed.

“I highly doubt you’re any heavier, you’re still a scrawny fuck.” Michael grinned, giving the branch a test bounce. “It’s stable enough.”

Ryan had trailed over behind Gavin and leaned silently against the trunk, just beside Jack and Geoff.

Before yet another silence could settle, Geoff spoke up. “You guys remember the summer when Michael tried to make it to the top of this old thing?” He smiled fondly at the memory, glancing up to the highest branch of the tree.

“I distinctly remember him breaking his arm that day.” Ryan chuckled.

“Nearly took out Gavvy too.” Michael added, and all of them could laugh at the image of Gavin just barely jumping out of the way of Michael as he crash-landed.

“Remember when Geoff decided we should try building a tree house up here?” Jack thought aloud, and again, the group laughed in response. The tree house had been a complete and utter failure.

“Can’t believe I stole my dad’s toolbox for that shit.” Michael said.

“How about the time we were all arguing and Ray climbed all the way up and gave some speech, like he pulled it right out of a fuckin’ movie.” Geoff seemed almost proud of that one.

“Still got the footage of that one.” Gavin smiled, looking down for a moment.

“Hey. Do you guys remember when we made a pact, right here, that we’d always be there for each other? No matter what?” Ray stalked over to them, and all eyes were on him. “’Cause it seems like you forgot all about that one. Guess it doesn’t matter now.” He sighed. “You all gotta get out of here. I’m meeting somebody.”

“Sorry, when did this become _your_ tree?” Gavin scowled.

“When you all stopped coming.”

They let that sentence linger in the air for a while, but in the end, it was only too painful for Ray. It had only ever been painful for Ray.

\---

_Senior-wide questioning, student: Geoff Ramsey, Tuesday 13 th October 2015._

“Anyway, I thought these questions were just supposed to be about Ray… I’m not… I’m not a suspect, am I?”

“No. No, of course not.”

\---

_3.54pm, school parking lot, Thursday 15 th October 2015. _

Gavin Free is taken into police custody, and treated as a suspect in the Ray Narvaez Jr murder case.


	5. The Fool

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am so S O R R Y  
> i suck
> 
> i hope this is a sufficiently long enough chapter to make up for the fact i've left this fic hanging for so long
> 
> ((forgive my poor editing))
> 
> I WILL NOT ABONDON THIS.

_Senior-wide questioning, student: Miles Luna, Tuesday 13 th October 2015. _

“And do you recall seeing anything particularly strange when you passed the park that night, Miles?” One of the officers asked, with falsely sincere eyes that drooped low with exhaustion.

“Not really,” the boy shrugged, thinking back on that night that had meant nothing to him at the time. “Ran into Gavin. Gavin Free. He was drenched from the waist down,” Miles laughed quietly at the memory. “Said something about dropping his camera in the river. Seemed pretty mad about it.”

\---

_3.54pm, school parking lot, Thursday 15 th October 2015._

Geoff watched Gavin being towed away from a small crowd of people by two officers. He watched from across the parking lot while Gavin was shoved into the back of a cop car and taken away.

Gritting his teeth, he turned away, and fished his phone out from his pocket.

\---

_Text message recovered from Geoff Ramsey’s phone, Thursday 15 th October 2015._

_Recipients: Michael Jones, Ryan Haywood, Jack Pattillo, Gavin Free._

_3.57pm- Geoff:_

meet at my place, as soon as possible. all you fuckers better be there. they took gav in.

\---

_5.00pm, Geoff Ramsey’s house, Thursday 15 th October 2015._

“Nice of you to join us, Romeo,” Michael spat as Ryan trudged into the small, over-crowded bedroom, taking his seat begrudgingly on the bed beside Jack. The absence of Gavin by his side was ever-present, and they were all hyper-aware of it.

“Fuck off Michael, I was in a rehearsal.”

“Yeah, and we’ve all been here, worrying our asses off about what the fuck we’re gonna do about this- “

“You seriously think I wasn’t worried?” Ryan argued, almost _growling_ at Michael. They were both ready to pounce.

“You couldn’t have missed _one_ fuckin’ rehearsal, huh?” Michael snapped right back.

“Grow up, Michael, it would have looked suspicious.”

“Will you two stop?” Geoff sighed in exasperation, impulsively reaching for the cigarette he generally had tucked behind his ear, but, finding it absent, cursed aloud. “This isn’t helping anybody. We gotta figure out what to do about Gavin.”

“Do you…think he’d sell us out?” Jack asked with a frown, seeming nervous where he was tucked up in the corner of the room.

“Course not!” Michael argued, shaking his head. “Gav wouldn’t… he’s smarter than that.”

“You really believe that?” Ryan laughed without humour. “He’s a moron, he’d absolutely spill the truth if they scare it out of him. Probably tripping over his own lies as we speak.”

“Nice way to talk about your boyfriend, Ryan,” Jack commented with a frown, almost seeming a little shocked at the carelessness with which Ryan spoke of the other.

“ _I’m_ not his boyfriend. Trevor is his boyfriend; I’m just somebody who fucks him better.”

“Jesus Christ, Ryan,” Geoff sighed.

“Somebody’s bitter.” Michael mumbled, but they all knew it wasn’t true. Ryan couldn’t care less about Gavin’s relationship with Trevor, and it seemed that everybody but Gavin was fully aware of this.

“Regardless, they can only hold him for 24 hours without any solid evidence.” Ryan reminded them. “And where the fuck are they supposed to find that? We’ll be fine. _Gavin_ will be fine.”

\---

_5.15pm, police station, Gavin Free’s interrogation, Thursday 15 th October 2015._

“Something about getting your camera from the river, according to our witness statement. What exactly was your camera doing in the river, Gavin?” A police officer with a far older, far meaner face than the two from the school asked, leaning closer to Gavin almost with each word.

“It was Michael,” Gavin blurted out, hoping in that moment, that he didn’t look as shocked as he felt about what had just tumbled out of his mouth. But Gavin had to convince himself he would be fine.

It wasn’t as if he wasn’t used to lying convincingly.

“Michael Jones, we were just messing about down by the tree.” He sighed. “I was pissing him off and he chased me down to the river, took my camera and threw it, the bastard. He’s always been a bit of a prick.” Gavin smiled fondly, as if recalling the memory. Oh, they would believe him. Gavin knew lying like a childhood friend. He made Trevor believe he was his one and only every damn day. He could _do_ this. “Anyway, I went in to get it. It had _all_ of my photos from the Romeo and Juliet rehearsals on it, and I had to get that article finished _that night_ cause- “

“Did you end up fixing that camera, Gavin?”

“No.” He lied smoothly. “It got all messed up; in the water for too long before I found it.”

“And where is the camera now?”

A short silence.

\---

_9.54pm, Trevor Collins’ house, Friday 9 th October 2015._

“Think you can fix it, Treyco?” Gavin whined, flipping the camera over in his hands, making a ridiculous pouty face that made Trevor laugh.

“The camera’s fucked Gav,” he told him regretfully, brushing some of Gavin’s hair from his face. “But we can recover everything that was on it. Don’t worry about your article.”

“Well can I leave it with you then?” Gavin asked, and hoped he didn’t sound too eager.

He needed somewhere to store this damn camera, along with what was on it.

The last thing he needed was anybody getting hold of that footage.

\---

_6.45pm, the tree, Friday 9 th October 2015. _

Despite Ray having demanded that they leave over an hour ago, the group remained at the tree. And it had been _nice_. For the first time in so many years, the six of them could exist comfortably, pleasantly in each other’s presence.

They’d all be liars to say they hadn’t missed this dearly.

Most of them were, in fact, liars.

No good thing could ever last for them, it seemed.

“Doesn’t this just feel _normal_ to you guys?” Ray blurted out, knowing it was a risk to interrupt this peaceful tolerance, this brief revival of a once great friendship, knowing he was putting his heart on the line for _just one of them_ to agree with him.

The silence crushed him.

“It’s uh…It’s not really that easy anymore, Ray,” Geoff replied, with caution that Ray did certainly appreciate.

“Yeah, no shit.” Michael laughed. He had always been far less careful.

“It’s actually pretty weird to hang around with you guys.” Ryan laughed, as though he were blissfully unaware that his words were cutting painfully through Ray, shattering his reverie. “We don’t mesh well at all anymore. There’s a reason I stopped wasting my time with you fuckers.”

It was a joke. It was obvious to anybody who had watched the six of them that what Ryan had said was not intended to be taken seriously, and everybody but Ray did laugh in response to it. It wasn’t that he didn’t see the humour; it was that he _did_ latch on to some hint of underlying truth to Ryan’s words.

“Just because you think you’re all superior now that you’re in some dumb play, doesn’t mean we don’t mesh well,” Ray spat bitterly, and even he flinched at his own words.

It wasn’t fair. As superficial and childish as it felt to say so, Ray didn’t believe they were treating him fairly at all. He had always been particularly sensitive about the fallout of their once perfect group, and on occasion, he did worry that perhaps he always _would_ be far too upset about it. But the five of them really didn’t help him to cope with it in anyway.

For a group that had once been so very close, they were really rather dismissive of him now that they had found their own paths in life. Ray knew one day, he was likely to find his own too, and maybe then he could finally let go of his past; but as of right now, he really was a late bloomer. If anybody had stuck by him, it was Geoff. Even he didn’t seem all that interested in helping Ray to find his own way.

Ray couldn’t cope on his own, and their words, joking or not, had a detrimental effect on his emotional state. They always had. The only difference now was that they just didn’t care anymore.

“Chill out, Ray,” Ryan sighed in exasperation. “Get over it.”

“Seriously,” Michael agreed. “Learn to laugh at yourself, dude.”

They weren’t _trying_ to be assholes, but they were seriously succeeding in it.

“Just…yaknow, grow up a little,” Jack shrugged with a misplaced smile.

“You all really play up to your stereotypes, you know that?” Ray laughed bitterly, without even the slightest trace of any humour. No, now he was seriously mad. “I should have known this wasn’t really. You all became a bunch of fucking assholes as soon as you found your ‘clique’. And I _tried,”_ his voice broke a little on that last word, expressing his growing desperation for them to just fucking listen to him for once. To hear him out, and to want to help him just one last time. “I tried so damn hard to fit in with at least one of you. How could I not do that? I’m not a jock. I’m not a writer. I’m not all that smart. I’m not an actor. I don’t smoke, or skate, or read, or play an instrument, or talk to anybody, or do anything, and I don’t know _why_. And not a single one of you were willing to help me. Do you know how fucking scary it is to be _nobody_ to _anybody?_ To be absolutely _nothing_ at all?”

“Ray-” Geoff started, but the boy was not finished yet.

“No. _No._ I don’t even want to hear what you have to say,” Ray started again, and watched the anger bubbling inside Michael’s head as he jumped down from the tree branch to be face to face with him. “You’re mad because you _know_. I blame every single one of you.”

“Yeah?” Michael shook his head, squaring up to Ray. Though Michael wasn’t that much taller than Ray, his stature was far stronger. He was a football player. He was built and it was rather intimidating now that he was right here. “Because it’s our fault you’re a talentless fuck?”

“Michael-” Geoff tried diffusing the situation, but, as he imagined it would, his voice went unheard.

By now, Gavin had snapped his camera open, not one to miss an opportunity for interesting footage.

“Seriously, Gavin?” Jack murmured, but received no response from the Brit as he manoeuvred to get the best possible angle of Michael’s boiling rage. It would have been quite an amusing sight, had the situation not meant quite so much to Ray as it did.

“But honestly,” Ryan moved forward, shaking his head. “I’m not about to stand here and be blamed for your petty problems, Ray. What the fuck were we supposed to do for you?”

“I don’t know, maybe not drop me the second you found your fucking _calling_ ,” Ray rolled his eyes. “ _Not_ become the biggest assholes I know when I needed you the most?”

“You know, if you want me to open my arms and be your best bud, Ray, calling me an asshole isn’t a good way to fuckin’ start,” Michael growled out through gritted teeth, angrily shoving Ray backwards, into the tree trunk. It caused all of the boys to take an honest step away from the action.

“Maybe consider not being an asshole then,” Ray mumbled, despite the flicker of fear he felt at how aggressive Michael had been. He wouldn’t dare actually try to fight him, would he? Sure, the six of them weren’t exactly friends anymore. That much had been made too blatantly obvious to ignore by now. But they had been. They had been closer than most people get to their best friends in life; there was no way Michael could _really_ hurt him.

“ _Excuse me_?” Michael yelled at him, moving closer, more intimidating to Ray with each step to the point he was certainly questioning himself.

“You heard me!” He argued back anyway, not wanting to break under the pressure of his terror; not in front of them. He would hold his ground, and they would take back all that they thought of him. He would be _strong_ against them for once. “I said- “

Michael had hit him before he could finish.

He had raised his fist and punched Ray square in the jaw before anybody could react.

It took Ray all of a second to decide his best bet was to run.

He had bolted before any of the boys could even think to stop him, and on impulse driven by white hot rage, Michael darted after him. Ryan was the first to follow, quickly succeeded by Gavin, filming the whole way, despite his initial shock.

“Jesus fucking Christ, this is so fucked!” Geoff yelled after them, hot on their tail, hoping he could catch up before anyone caused any irrecoverable damage; physically and mentally.

Jack, without a clue on how he should react, could only think to follow the group. If anything, he could try to offer Geoff some aid in playing the peacemaker; honestly the whole thing set his paranoid brain alight. There was no thrill in this chase. Only real, honest fear.

\---

_Approximately 7.15pm on Friday 9th October 2015, according to witness statement, Trevor Collins. Statement taken Thursday 15th October 2015._

“I have no idea what was going on, I just saw them all running. Ray…Ray was at the front. Michael was really going after him. They were all shouting, all six of them, I couldn’t really make out what they were saying…Can I please see Gavin now? Please?”

\---

_6.00pm, police station, Gavin Free’s interrogation, Thursday 15 th October 2015._

“All I know is that he was supposed to meeting Joel,” Gavin sighed, absolutely deflated after such a harsh interrogation. They were hardly leaving him any room to work his way out of this, but of course, Gavin was far more experienced with lying his way out of a rough situation than anybody had ever given him credit for. Feigning innocence was far from difficult for him. “Joel Heyman. He’s a teacher but…never seemed to be much of a problem.”

“And by that you mean…?”

“Well…I mean; everybody knew about it. Ray’s always hanging about in Joel’s classroom and…well it was just obvious! They were together, or at least everyone thinks they were. And Ray said, when he saw him, he was meant to be meetin’ Joel. That’s when we left.”

The two officers in the room with Gavin shared a look that they must have assumed he wouldn’t understand, but it was then that he knew he had them.

\---

_11.30pm, Trevor Collins’ house, Thursday 15 th October 2015._

As soon as Gavin got out, he went straight home with Trevor. He acted exhausted, distraught that he’d been taken in, wrongly accused; so very _innocent._ And it all came so easy to him.

They had brought Trevor into the police station too, to ask him a few questions about Gavin, but evidently, he had had nothing of any use to them to say.

Gavin had absolutely everybody fooled, and he was about ready to drop a celebratory text into their group messages about how fantastically he had come out of this situation, when his boyfriend just had to go and open his damn mouth.

“What aren’t you telling me, Gavin?”

They were not murderers. And they would _kill_ to ensure nobody ever accused them of being so.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is now my priority! 
> 
> If you were reading the other fic I wrote (We're The Same) I have never been more sorry about the hiatus it is on indefinitely.  
> It will be finished, probably not until I have finished this one though.


End file.
